Bangladesh Agricultural Corporation (BADC) contract growers for the export of potatoes to Malaysia

Potatoes produced by contract growers of the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) are now being exported to Malaysia. Under the supervision of BADC, the first consignment of 28 tons of the diamond potato variety was sent to Malaysia on March 30.

Another 70-ton shipment of potato was sent abroad in two phases earlier this month, according to Abdul Hai, deputy director at BADC's Panchagarh office.

The shipment increased the scope for potato growers to get higher prices. One farmer from Panchagarh Sadar county said farmers will feel encouraged to cultivate potatoes on more land if they get higher prices because of increased exports.

Potato cultivation has grown 4 percent year-on-year to reach 486,000 hectares, data from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) shows.

Growers produced 9.6 mln tons of the tuber crop in fiscal 2019-20, according to BBS estimates. Of the total production, 46,000 tons were exported.